| | Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia |
Habit. Erect. Rhizomatous perennial shrub. 1–4 m high. Large stems prickles absent.
Branchlets. Branchlet prickles absent. Branchlet hairs absent. Branchlet stellate hairs absent.
Leaves. Leaves lanceolate or elliptical or ovate, 7–18 cm long, 2–4.5 cm wide, entire. Leaf domatia present. Leaf apex acute, base cuneate. Petioles 1–2.5 cm long, prickles absent.
Upper leaf surface. Upper leaf surface green, prickles absent. Upper leaf surface stellate hairs absent, protostellae absent, absent from surface. Upper leaf surface simple hairs absent. Upper leaf surface short glandular hairs absent.
Lower leaf surface. Lower leaf surface green, prickles absent. Lower leaf surface stellate hairs absent. Lower leaf surface simple hairs antrorse, curved, very sparse or confined to major veins (domatia comprising hair tufts), not gland-tipped, 0.2–1 mm long. Lower leaf surface short glandular hairs absent.
Inflorescence. Inflorescence leaf-opposed or supra-axillary, cymose (pseudo-racemose) or almost umbellate but 1–2 fls/frt separate, common peduncle 8–12 mm long, rachis prickles absent, 5–30-flowered, with all flowers bisexual. Flowers 5-merous. Pedicels at anthesis 12–16 mm long, prickles absent. Calyx tube at anthesis 1.5–2 mm long. Calyx lobes at anthesis deltate, 0.5–1 mm long. Calyx prickles at anthesis absent. Calyx stellae absent. Calyx simple hairs absent. Calyx short glandular hairs absent. Corolla white, 6–10 mm long, deeply lobed. Anthers 3–3.5 mm long. Ovary glabrous. Functional style 6–7 mm long, protruding between anthers.
Fruits. Fruiting calyx lobes less than half length of mature fruit, prickles absent. Mature fruits globular or ellipsoidal or ovoid, 10–16 mm diameter, red or orange, 2-locular, pedicels 19–30 mm long. Seeds pale yellow or black, 3–3.5 mm long.
Distribution and habitat. Queensland, New South Wales. Qld: Moreton. NSW: North Coast. Evergreen notophyll rainforest (no eucalypts).
Classification. Sect. Geminata. Data source: Knapp 2002; Fl of NSW.
Illustrations. • ripe fruits. • immature fruits. • flowering branches.
Cite this publication as: ‘Bean, A.R. 2012 onwards. Solanum species of eastern and northern Australia. Version: 25th January 2023. delta-intkey.com’.
